Sewing machine driving mechanism



March 13, 1934. J. R. OLIVER SEWING MACHINE DRIVING MECHANISM Original Filed June 4. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l \k a 1 w INVENTOR. Jveh "R. @M

BY W, @WI

ATTORNEYS March 13, 1934. J, R, OLIVER SEWING MACHINE DRIVING MECHANISM Original Filed June 4. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Si M KM INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 13, 1934 PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE DRIVING MECHANISM John Roger Oliver, Medfield, Mass, assignor to Reece Shoe Machinery Company, Boston, Mass.,

a corporation of Maine Original application June 4, 1931, Serial No. 542,048. Divided and this application May 5, 1932, Serial No. 609,373

1 Claim. (01. 112.220)

This invention relates to sewing machine driving mechanisms, and more particularly to the driving mechanisms of power driven types of, machines for stitching leather or shoes, a typi- 5 cal instance thereof being the so-called outsole stitcher by which the outsole and welt of a shoe are sewed together, to which the present invention is shown as applied, although subject to wider utility.

The present application is filed as a division of copending parent application Serial No. 542,048, filed June 4, 1931 to which reference may be made for various details of the stitching instruments and their operation not particularly herein described.

' The general object of the present invention is to afford a sewing machine of the power driven type which will be highly efiicient in action and with easy running qualities permitting high speeds of operaton. It is a particular object and feature of this invention to afford smooth running qualities by simplifying the driving mechanism and especially by eliminating the need of gears communcating the drive from one to another of the operating shafts of the machine.

" Other and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will be pointed out in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, or will be understood to those conversant with the subject.

To the attainment of such objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel sewing machine driving mechanism and the novel features of operation, combination and construction herein illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion or stitching head of a shoe outsole stitching machine constructed in accordance with the present inven- 49 tion, but with a number of parts omitted or broken away for purposes of better illustration.

Fig. 2 is a left elevation thereof.

Said Figures 1 and 2 correspond substantially with Figures 1 and 4 of the parent application with the exception that Fig. 2 is supplemented by details taken from the right elevation Fig. 3

of the parent application. The reference characters in Figs. 1 and 2 correspond with those employed in the parent application.

Describing first some of the general machine parts and actuating elements, the fixed frame part or head 20 may be at the upper end of a tall post so that the operator may stand while handling the work. Bearings 21 give support to a drive shaft 22 which may be rotated for example by a grooved pulley driven by belt from an electric motor at the base of the machine. Above the drive shaft is what will be termed the stitching shaft 23 turning in an outer bearing 24 at the left and in a first or left hand frame wall 25 50 and a right hand wall 26, upstanding from the head 20.

Instead of gears communicating rotation from one shaft to the other there is shown a system of driving cranks and rods as follows. At the left and right ends of drive shaft 22 are cranks 27 and 28 and at the left and right ends of the stitching shaft 23 are corresponding cranks 29 and 30;' these pairs of cranks being connected by rods 31 and 32 having the same effective 7 length as the spacing between the shafts. 'One pair of cranks and connecting rod being spaced from the other there will always be effective power communication between the shafts; and this affords a smooth quiet drive with minimum wear and none of the drawbacks of gearing.

Referring to details of construction, the left crank 27 on the lower shaft 22 has left and right webs or cheeks 27 and 27 between which the lower head 31 of the left rod or link 31 is accommodated. Likewise the left crank 29 on the upper shaft 23 has left cheek 29 to which hand wheel 34 is joined, and right cheek 29 between which cheeks the upper rod head 31 is accommodated. So also the right crank 28 on the 35 lower shaft has left cheek 28 opposed to which is disk 28 confined at the right by a nut; and the right crank 30 on the upper shaft has left cheek 30 and right disk 30 similarly confined; the lower and upper heads 32 and 32 of the rod 32 9Q being thereby held upon the cranks 28 and 30. Counterbalance weights 33 may be suitably disposed, as on the upper left and lower right cranks, to reduce vibration from this transmitting system.

The stitching shaft 23 is shown provided at its left end with a hand wheel 34 useful in rotating manually the stitching and driving shafts. As explained in the parent application, the stitching shaft may carry a series of operating devices, as cranks, the first one located between the bearing 24 and the frame wall 25 and others between the two frame walls, these devices or cranks having transmitting connections for operating the stitching instruments. Some of the motions may 5 conveniently be taken from the driving shaft 22 which may for this purpose carry devices such as eccentrics or cams for the purpose. As these details of actuating devices and connections to the stitching instruments form no specific part 1 of the present improvement they are not herein described otherwise than by reference to the parent case except to identify the main stitching instruments as follows.

The inverted shoe may be held in engagement with the work support A which is "a stationary part in the form of a bracket attached to the left frame wall and being apertured for the'alt'ernate passage of the needle and awl as they penetrate the work. Above the work support is a presser foot B which may be intermittently released to permit feed and clamped tohold the work against displacement, the presser foot preferably taking its actuation from the stitching shaft 23.

The needle C is of the curved, barbed type, entering the work from above and mounted upon a carrier which oscillates about an axis above and to the rear of the stitching point or work support. The needle may take its actuationfrom the shaft 23. Cooperating with the needle is a needle guide fD mounted similarly for oscillation and taking its actuation from the shaft 23.

Anrawl F serving both to puncture the work and to feed it between stitches, 'is arranged .to oscillate like the needle :but entering the work support and work from'below. It is preferably mounted independently of the needle and takes its actuation from thB'iShEft 23. While engaged in the work the :awlsis ;given an advancingmovement during the release of the presser foot,the awl sretracting out of :the work before the advance of the needle. The awl mountings are carried on feed slide G reciprocable leftward to feed the work and returnable rightward, 'under actuation by connections fromtheshaft 2-3.

Below the work isshown a looper H cooper- "bo'dying a driving mechanism embodying the thread finger, etc. as to which reference may be :had to said parent application.

Having thus described a sewing machine emprinciples of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to matters of operation, arrangement or structure except to the extent set forth in the respective claim.

:prising in combination, the needle, feed device and other stitching instruments, a pair of parallel actuating shafts 'from which the instruments'derive their :motion, the first shaft power driven, and the second shaft being driven from the first-through a system of two crank and rod connections having different timing, each such connection comprising a crank on each shaft, said cranks of identical radius, and a rod con meeting said cranks, said rod having an eiTective length identical with the spacing between the axes of the shafts, and a counterbalance m weight rotating with each of the shafts to minimize vibration in said connection system, one

adjacent the crank at one'end of the first shaft and the'other'adjacent thecrank at the other end of the other shaft. n

JOHN ROGER OLIVER. 

